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LoopNet

Projection mapping is the solution to making a building disappear

About LoopNet

Making a building in LA appear to disappear, required a lot of creative thinking and some borrowed techniques from the best illusionists

Elaborate 3D projection mapping content and big audio sound fx were designed by our team to lead up to the magical moment, including scenes that made the building transform to be different looking buildings, a giant pinball machine and massive Tesla Coils that threw massive 10 storey electrical arcs across the building that would not look out of place in a big budget Frankenstein movie.

The Challenge

For this DSE award winning 3D projection mapping content, Go2 was asked the question; “Do you think you can make a building disappear using 3D projections?”. After a short pause we said; “Yes, we believe we can”.

LoopNet is the largest online commercial real estate listing service. The concept was to demonstrate that if your building was not listed on their network, then “it may as well be invisible.” The Go2 team produced several mock ups to show how we believed this could be done. By projecting what was beyond the building back onto the front of the building, it would give the illusion that the building was in fact transparent.

The Results

With a tip-o-the-hat to David Copperfield’s “Disappearing Statue of Liberty” Illusion, we requested a key component be included in the event — a powerful lighting system that would work in conjunction with the projection visuals. The intent was to flash the lighting rig on full power for a second or so just before the illusion, causing the audiences pupils to reduce just long enough to make the projection mapping content illusion work.

At this precise moment, their eyes would be less receptive to the darker parts of the building, allowing us to make the roof line of the building appear to fade into the night sky. At that moment, the projection mapping content transformed and displayed images of the city skyline that was beyond the building, back onto the building! — giving the illusion of it being completely transparent.